Four Emmys. Fifteen Grammys. A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in the performing arts. A Medal of Liberty from President Reagan. A National Medal of Arts from President Clinton.

Their owner is Itzhak Perlman, renowned Israeli violinist, who is coming to Greensboro to speak in the Guilford College Bryan Series this month.

“Joseph M. Bryan Jr. established the Bryan Series as a commitment to bring accomplished men and women to Greensboro and Guilford to provide a benefit to students,” said Ty Buckner, associate vice president for communications and marketing. “It’s an opportunity to engage with people who have accomplished a great deal in their lives.”

Perlman fits this criterion perfectly. At the age of four, he contracted polio, but despite an otherwise good recovery, lost the use of both legs. Regardless of this physical setback, he became one of the most accomplished and revered violinists today.

“He doesn’t look at his polio as disability,” said Georgieann Bogdan, coordinator of disability resources. “He saw that he was different, but he knew what he had to do to accomplish — what he had set his mind on becoming.”

Attendees will not only have the privilege to hear him speak about a wide array of topics but will also experience a live musical performance from Perlman himself.

“We’re trying to move away from all of the programs just being talking from behind a lectern,” said Buckner.

The program will consist of three parts. First, there will be a conversation-like interview between Perlman and a moderator. Afterwards, Perlman will play a series of musical selections onstage with his Juilliard colleague, Sri Lankan pianist Rohan De Silva. Finally, the moderator will return for a Q&A session with Perlman allowing attendees to submit their own questions.

The event promises to be popular with demand for tickets already exceeding past programs. Some may be looking forward to hearing Perlman’s life story. Others, like Associate Professor of Music Kami Rowan, may be particularly excited about his live musical performance. Either way, Perlman is bound to deliver.

“The Bryan Series is one of the things that makes our school special,” said Rowan in an email interview. “The arts ask us to reach beyond language. The artist often works in mediums that have the potential to affect students in ways that written or spoken words cannot.”

Many students are also looking forward to Perlman’s contribution to the Bryan Series.

“I think that having classical musicians share their personal lives is a good way to get people to appreciate the genre more since it is often written off as boring or uninteresting,” said first-year Ellie Weiner. “Plus, it’s beautiful for those who already appreciate it.”

Perlman will speak and play at the War Memorial Auditorium in the Greensboro Coliseum on Feb. 13 at 7:00 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from campus.

Students and faculty are highly encouraged to take part in this exceptional event.

“Perlman reflects a number of the values that Guilford embraces,” said Buckner. “We’re presenting him because he’s one of the best at what he does.”